6 Superstars Who Should Not Have Won The Royal Rumble Match

#1 Batista - 2014

Wrong place, wrong time

Batista had arguably the worst big return in the history of WWE. It doesn't actually sound like that when you read it on paper as he won the 2014 Royal Rumble, main evented WrestleMania XXX and had at least three of the year's best matches. When it actually played out on TV though, it didn't go down so well.

Batista should have had a welcome return to WWE. The former WWE Champion has not been seen in the company in almost four years and had always been a fan favourite. The biggest problem for The Animal's return was it was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Batista was returning to WWE during the 'YES Movement', spearheaded by WWE's most popular superstar, Daniel Bryan.

As he had a great feud with The Authority in 2013 and was the underdog who was unfairly screwed out of the WWE Championship, Daniel Bryan winning the Royal Rumble match and headlining WrestleMania for the WWE Championship really did seem tailor-made. However, WWE apparently did really see him as just a 'B + Player' at the time, and thus chose the returning Batista over him. To make matters worse, Batista's return and Rumble victory plans leaked online at least 3 weeks before it happened, which left a very bad taste in the fans mouths.

Batista and WWE's booking of the 2014 Royal Rumble match was booed so much, that the only way to resolve the issue was to turn Batista heel and add Bryan to the main event of WrestleMania and give him the big win. Batista was probably the rightful winner of the 2005 Royal Rumble, but not on this night, that belonged to Daniel Bryan.